This invention relates to hand-held tools and, more particularly, to a portable illumination device such as a lantern, flashlight and the like.
Portable illumination devices are widely used by people in a variety of industries; in the homes, while camping and for numerous other activities. Flashlights in particular are extensively used as convenient small-sized devices that can be secured on a belt of a worker or stored in a toolbox, back pack, etc. The small size of portable lanterns and flashlights makes them ideal for use in remote places where municipal electrical power is not available, or where an electrical cable is impractical. Flashlights and lanterns are manufactured in a variety of sizes; they may have plastic or metal housings; different power light bulbs and lenses.
Most of the portable illumination devices operate on rechargeable or disposable batteries that are positioned in the housing to provide a power source for a single light bulb mounted behind a lens. The batteries have a relatively short life; they need to be regularly changed if the flashlight is used on a regular basis. Conventional flashlights may use two or more AA size batters, C size batteries, etc. When the battery life expires, the battery has to be either recharged, if it is a rechargeable battery, or has to be thrown away and new batteries installed. Oftentimes, the user finds him in a location where spare batteries are not available. Once the battery stops operating, the flashlight becomes useless. If the user did not provide for a supply of fresh batteries, he finds himself xe2x80x9cin the darkxe2x80x9d unable to continue with the tasks he set out to do.
The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with the prior art and provision of a flashlight with a holder for spare batteries to be used with flashlights, lanterns, and other portable illumination devices.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a flashlight and similar illumination device with a holder for spare batteries.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a holder for spare batteries that can be easily secured on conventional flashlight housings.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an attachment for a conventional flashlight for housing spare batteries that is easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved through a provision of a flashlight that has a housing for retaining a primary power source and an illumination members, such as a light bulb, electrically connected to the primary power source. A secondary housing is detachably secured on the main housing; the secondary housing retaining a secondary, substitute power source for placing in the primary housing after the primary power source has expired. The secondary housing is secured co-extensively with the primary housing, serving as an elongated handle for the primary housing.
The secondary housing is positioned in a telescopic engagement with a closed end of the primary housing, the end that does not carry the illumination member. A threaded coupler is engaged with the secondary housing and covers the area of connection between the secondary housing and the primary housing.
When the primary power source, such as batteries in the main housing, are used up, the user disengages the coupler from the secondary housing, takes out the spare batteries and places them in the primary housing. The used-up batteries may be then stored in the secondary housing when an opportunity presents itself for recharging the batteries or disposing them in an environmentally safe manner.